In Landmark Move, EPA Approves Higher Ethanol Blend for Vehicles Built in Last Decade

/PRNewswire/ -- Growth Energy announced today that U.S. jobs will be created, carbon removed from the air, and our national security made stronger with a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to raise the amount of ethanol that can be blended into our fuel from 10 percent (E10) to 15 percent (E15) for all vehicles built in the last decade.

The decision today to permit E15 for 2001-to-2006 model year vehicles follows an October decision by EPA to permit blends up to E15 in vehicles 2007 model year and newer. The EPA was responding to a regulatory petition, the Green Jobs Waiver, filed in March 2009 by Growth Energy, America's leading voice for ethanol supporters and producers.

A full move to E15 creates a bigger market for American ethanol that could help create as many as 136,000 new jobs in the United States and eliminate as much as 8 million metric tons of GHG emissions from the air in a year — the equivalent of taking 1.35 million vehicles off the road. Increasing the domestic, renewable fuel supply would also displace some of the 7 billion gallons of oil that is imported every day into the United States from countries such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, at a cost of more than $300 billion annually to our economy.

"This is a bold move forward, changing America's energy future for the better," said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. "Increased use of ethanol will strengthen our energy security, create U.S. jobs, and improve the environment by displacing conventional gasoline with a low-carbon fuel."

Buis added that with engine and emissions systems testing on cars 2001 through 2010 complete – and showing no issues with using E15 as a fuel – EPA's approval of E15 should be extended to older vehicles to make continued progress in reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.

"There are many more steps we can take toward achieving our energy security and environmental goals. We commend the EPA and we urge them to continue testing E15 for all vehicles, so that every American motorist has the opportunity to use a blend of fuel that is proven to be better for our economy, our security and our environment."

The previous E10 standard – which permits up to 10 percent ethanol blended into fuel – was set in the 1970s to help spur the growth of a domestic, renewable fuels industry in answer to America's first major oil crisis, engineered by OPEC. Since then, the United States has remained addicted to foreign oil; two-thirds of the oil used in this country comes from overseas.

In March 2009, Growth Energy filed a petition with EPA to permit the raising of that regulatory cap on the ethanol blend from 10 percent to 15 percent to displace more foreign oil.

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